


Protect My Guarded Heart

by emeraldxcity



Series: Need You Now [2]
Category: Young Justice (Cartoon)
Genre: F/M, Implied Sexual Content, Young Justice - Freeform, traught - Freeform
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-02-22
Updated: 2016-02-22
Packaged: 2018-05-22 12:11:42
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,494
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6078843
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/emeraldxcity/pseuds/emeraldxcity
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Artemis gave Dick's proposal to try a relationship a chance and now it's time for her to decide what she wants. Though it turns out the boy wonder's original deal has changed without warning.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Protect My Guarded Heart

**Author's Note:**

> Sequel to Like a Ghost in the Night.

Artemis had managed to keep their agreement. She'd given Dick's proposal for them to try to be something more than they were a chance for two whole months. Sixty days.

She'd been pretending for sixty days.

She knew he'd be coming over today, knew they'd both been counting down to the exact day when she'd have the opportunity to make her decision. Stay like this and try to be a couple, give Artemis the chance to learn to love him, though that wouldn't be too hard considering that even though she wouldn't admit it, she had feelings for Dick Grayson. Or they could go back to what they were before. Friends who would indulge in each other late at night and replace pain with euphoria.

They actually hadn't done that since the agreement, Dick had requested it the next day, asked that they hold off on the sex until Artemis knew what she wanted. It had been hard, learning to replace sex with hand holding, as if it was supposed to hold her together in same way. At least, she was sure it wouldn't if it were any person other than Dick.  
At first she'd been extremely hesitant, fighting the idea that he could be right, that _they_ could work as something more, that he could actually fix her, could make her okay. She didn't believe him then, didn't believe he had that sort of power. But she'd underestimated his feelings for her, big time.

She had known that he cared about her and he'd even told her he loved her multiple times, even before they'd 'gotten together'. That's why she'd decided weeks ago that they couldn't be anything more than what they'd been before. He loved her, she could see it when he looked at her, could _feel_ it when he touched her skin. She cared about him, but she wasn't sure she could call it love. She was too afraid to call it that. And she knew, even though he'd been trying so hard not to let her see it, that being together like this made him extremely happy. An obvious happiness that hadn't been fully there when their relationship only consisted of meetings under bed sheets and nothing more.

She missed when things were that simple. She misses wrapping her legs around him and pushing him deeper, every thrust making her _feel_ again, if only until she reached her high. Artemis knew what he was trying to do by taking the sex away. He was trying to get her to open up to him in another way, open her heart to him and actually feel _real_ things again. That was probably more terrifying than just about anything she'd been put through in her entire life. She'd already had her heart shattered into a million pieces one time and it wasn't even close to being whole again and here he was asking her to hand all of the pieces over to him, offering to fix it. But how could she trust that he won't drop some of those pieces along the way or that he won't shatter her heart even more?

She's sitting on the edge of the bed, staring at her hands when she hears the door open and close. She knows it's Dick, has the sound of his light footsteps memorized. She doesn't look up as he walks into the room, not until he's sat down beside her.

The blonde swallows and opens her mouth to say something but doesn't get the chance, Dick cutting her off.

“Artemis, I know what today is and I know you've probably already made up your mind but I want to say a few things before you do, if that's okay.”

Well, she hadn't been expecting that. After a moment, she quietly gives him a slow nod, permission to continue.

“I know you've been... _hesitant_ about things between us these past two months and I know you're just trying to protect yourself but... you can't tell me you haven't been a little happier, can you? I've seen you smile, a real genuine smile. You didn't do that before when we were just... you know.”

He was right, he had made her smile. Had made her feel the first genuine sense of happiness since Wally had died. There had been moments where she felt so incredibly _giddy_ she was sure she could almost fly with that feeling alone if she tried hard enough. And she couldn't deny the way that empty feeling had been slowly fading away, that gaping hole in her chest slowly closing with every brush of his lips against her own. But some days, she could feel everything beginning to unravel again and those were the days she panicked. Days like today.

“'Mis, I know you're scared. I know you're afraid that I'm gonna hurt you.” He says softly, scooting closer to her until his knee was bumping her's lightly. “But I promise.... I would _never_ hurt you.”

She shakes her head, looking over at him. “You can't make promises like that, Dick. You go out there everyday and if one day you don't come back, that's going to hurt me.”

“'Mis...” He says softly, moving off of the bed to kneel down in front of her, taking her hands in his. “You can't spend the rest of your life waiting for security, you know that. It won't ever come, that's just... it's not how our lives work.... Artemis...” He sighs and she knows she's hurting him, right now, without saying a single word, she's causing him pain.

“I want to be here for you, Arty, I want to make you happy, I want to fix you but... I'm finally starting to realize I can't do any of that if you won't let me.” Dick says quietly and she has to look away. She can't stand the pain in his eyes. The eyes she used to love to look at.

“I thought I could keep pretending, Artemis, even when this was over... I thought I could keep pretending I'm okay with the 'you call and I answer' thing but... It's not good for either of us. It's hurting me and you can't move on because you know I'm a text message away.”

“Dick, you-”

“I know. I know what I said, Artemis. I just.... I can't. I thought I could, but I can't. I love you and... it's not fair to me to keep putting myself through this when you aren't even trying.”

Now that, that makes her mad. He knows too, he can see the way her face changes, the way her jaw hardens and her brows furrow.

“Now you're just being a jackass, Dick.” She says, and the words take him by surprise. “I'm _not even trying_. Are you fucking kidding me?” Artemis has tugged her hands away from his and is glaring down at him. “Can you please define what you consider trying? Because I think I've been trying pretty damn hard. I did agree to this stupid little act we had going on, right? I knew it wouldn't work out but I tried anyway because you deserved the chance!” He stands up then, his own features darkening with anger.

“See? Right there, Artemis. You ' _knew'_. Unless you have some kind of psychic powers you haven't told me about, you didn't _know_ anything. You just didn't want it to work out.”

“Damn it, Dick!” She finally yells, standing up as well and staring up at him with tear filled eyes. “I did try! I'm still trying! You don't even know what I've decided yet and you're already assuming the worst from me!”

Before he had time to counter, she grabs him by the back of his neck, yanking him down to her and kissing him roughly. The girl doesn't pull away until the kiss has become more gentle and it's obvious by the way he's gently wrapped his arms around her that they've both calmed down.

“I want to love you, Dick.” She says finally, pulling back. “I really do and... I... I think I could. I think... I already do.”

The words are met with silence and they just stand in each other's embrace, staring at each other, waiting for someone to be brave enough to break the silence.

No one does.

Instead, Dick leans down, pressing his lips gently to her's and pulling her closer. After a long moment, he's pulled away from her lips, kissing along her jaw and her neck and Artemis let's her eyes fall shut as his lips find their way back up her neck and to her ear, his breath making her shiver as he whispers, “I love you, Artemis.”

The blonde smiles, running her fingers through his hair and pulling him closer. “I know.” She replies, turning her head to press her lips to his cheek before moving to his ear and adding in a soft whisper,

“I love you too.”


End file.
